Cincinnati Reds: Sonny Gray earns well-deserved trip to All-Star Game

Though he’ll be making an appearance as a replacement, Cincinnati Reds’ starter Sonny Gray is more than deserving of his second trip to the All-Star Game.

Sonny Gray‘s road to redemption will make a stop in Cleveland on Tuesday as the Cincinnati Reds right-hander was selected to his second All-Star Game. Though he’ll be making the appearance as a replacement for Max Scherzer, Gray’s inclusion in the Midsummer Classic is well-deserved.

The Reds rolled the dice back in January when they sent prospect Shed Long and a first-round draft pick to the New York Yankees in exchange for Sonny Gray. The Reds then promptly signed Gray to a 4-year/$38M extension. The hope was that by pairing him with his former college pitching coach, Derek Johnson, Gray would return to his All-Star form of 2015.

Well, here we are. The Reds’ gamble has paid off and Gray will be headed back to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2015 when he finished the season 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA. Gray finished third in the Cy Young voting that season behind Dallas Keuchel and David Price.

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While Luis Castillo, not Sonny Gray, has been the Cincinnati Reds’ top pitcher this season, the former Oakland hurler has been impressive, especially of late. Gray’s performance last Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers was his best of the season, and perhaps his best since his days in the Bay Area.

Gray struck out 12 batters against the Brewers which matched a career-high he set on September 23, 2014 when he tossed 7 innings of 3-hit baseball against the Los Angeles Angels. While pitching with the Yankees last season, Gray never looked comfortable, especially in the bright lights of New York City.

Gray’s struggles in The Big Apple have been well documented, but outside of an awful start in his first game this season, Gray has been solid. After not topping 8 strikeouts in a game last season, Sonny Gray has already surpasses that number on 4 different occasions this season.

Castillo and Gray will be the first pair of Reds starters to make the All-Star Game since 2014 when Johnny Cueto and Alfredo Simon represented the Queen City in the Midsummer Classic. In 1970, starters Jim Merritt and Wayne Simpson were selected the All-Star Game as well.

Amir Garrett, had he been healthy, would’ve likely joined Castillo and Gray as the Reds third representative. Pirates’ closer Felipe Vazquez was just added as a replacement for Brewers’ left-handed closer Josh Hader. Vazquez trails Garrett in wins, ERA, games played, and WAR.

Don’t let Gray’s slow start fool you, he’s having a tremendous 2019 campaign. Gray is in the top 10 of the National League in hits per 9 innings pitched (7.373), strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (10.262), and fielding independent pitching (3.35).